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coccidiosis

is there always blood in symptmons of above? , i have 6week old silkies an 12 week old silkies in quarantine, 2 of the 6 wk olds are all hunched up not looking the best an 1 of the 12 wk old the same, no bloody droppings just loose caramel colour, got some KARIFLOX from the vet to put in the water, hopefully this will help. i just thought blood had to be present for coccidiosis.

pearlFriday, June 25th, 2010

sorry, ment this for health an welfare section.

pearl
Friday, June 25th, 2010

I have 2 chicks like that as well would Tylan cure it also??
Theres no blood in dropping either.But they are shaking theirs heads a lot.

J.C
Friday, June 25th, 2010

Kariflox is a bactericidal product belonging to the fluoroquinolones , Kariflox 10% is active against Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria and mycoplasma. It will not do anything for control of coccidiosis.
You would need Coxoid or similar product to treat coccidiosis.

There are several types of coccidiosis and not all would be indicated by blood in the droppings.

Blood in droppings is general sign of cecalcoccidiosis & birds are usually dehydrated as well.

Coccidiosis caused by tenella usually noticeable at three days after infection. The Chickens will look droopy, may stop feeding, generally huddle together, and by the fourth day, blood begins to appear in the droppings.

The greatest amount of blood appears by day five or six, and by the eighth or ninth day, the bird is either dead or on the way to recovery.

Some info on coccidosis
multiplying Coccidia. Some species of Coccidia can COCCIDIOSIS
By: Peter J. Brown, First State Veterinary Supply, Inc.

Coccidiosis is one of the least understood of all Avian Diseases. The key to controlling Coccidiosis is to be on a control program that will keep the disease under control , yet allow sufficient natural immunity to develop. Because the oocysts that cause Coccidiosis are present everywhere , it is virtually impossible to be free of this disease. Coccidiosis is caused by a Protozoan which is a single celled animal. When the Protozoa multiply in the birds intestine , infection takes place causing intestinal damage. Cells that line the intestine that are used for digestion and conversion of feed into Amino Acids and other nutrients are destroyed by the ever and do cause severe damage to the Intestinal lining and therefore make it difficult for the bird to absorb the necessary nutrients to nourish its body.
There are at least nine species of Coccidia known to infect Chickens. Every animal is affected by some species of Coccidia. All species of Coccidia are host specific. This means that Coccidia that are capable of infecting Chickens will not infect Turkeys and vice versa. Five of the nine species of Coccidia that infect Chickens can be very aggressive and cause permanent Intestinal damage if not properly controlled. Each of these species resides in a particular section of the Intestines. Emeria acervulina resides in the upper part of the small intestine and is usually found in birds that are eight weeks of age and older. Emeria necatrix usually found in the middle areas of the small intestine and is usually responsible for the intestinal bleeding often seen with Coccidiosis and it usually attacks young birds. Emeria tenella resides in the Cecal tonsil or blind pouches of the Intestine and usually causes what is called Cecal bloody Coccidiosis and is usually found in birds that are between five to eight weeks of age. Emeria brunetti does its damage in the in the lower small intestine and the Cloaca or rectum of the bird. Emeria maxima causes Intestinal damage in the middle to lower portions of the small Intestine.

Coccidiosis is spread by contaminated feed and droppings from infected birds. The infectious oocysts that cause Coccidiosis can be carried by man,litter,contaminated equipment and free flying birds. The main source of Infection is the Chicken itself. Birds that are infected with Coccidiosis will pass great numbers of Infectious oocysts in their droppings. Even a bird that has recovered from a Coccidiosis outbreak will remain Infectious as they are never really free of the disease. The oocysts are capable under the right conditions of surviving in the soil for periods of one year or longer. The oocysts that cause Coccidiosis thrive in wet surroundings and are easier to control if litter and or the ground is in a drier condition. It takes approximately four to seven days for an Infection to take place in the Intestines. It takes constant re-exposure to the Infectious oocysts in order for Immunity to Coccidiosis to develop. Immunity is not permanent nor is it guaranteed for the life of the bird. Immunity depends on constant re-exposure to the Infectious oocysts , if re-exposure is not accomplished then Immunity will be lost. There is no cross Immunity among the different species of Coccidia. This means that in order for birds to develop Immunity to all nine species of Coccidia they would have to be exposed to sufficient numbers of oocysts from all nine species. They would then have to be constantly re-exposed to all nine species of Cocci in order for Immunity to be maintained. The severity of a Cocci outbreak will depend upon the numbers of oocysts that are ingested by the birds and their overall health and conditioning.

Controlling Coccidiosis and still allowing immunity to build is accomplished in the following way. Use Amprol/Corid powder in the birds drinking water at the rate of one teaspoon per gallon of water for seven days and 1/8 teaspoon of 3-Nitro-W as well. Then skip twenty one days and then begin treating with Sulfadimethoxine at the rate of one ounce per two gallons of drinking water for five days. Then skip twenty one days again and start the treatment all over again beginning with the Amprol/Corid and the 3-Nitro-W powder. Continue this program until all birds are five to six months old or until the hens begin laying eggs and then discontinue the program and treat on an as needed basis. It is important to start the Amprol/Corid powder first and then use the Sulfadimethoxine as some species of Cocci cause intestinal bleeding and the use of Sulfa drugs first, will contribute to the bleeding before it makes the situation better. It is also advisable to add 1/4 teaspoon of VITAMIN E to the water as research shows that VITAMIN E can help shorten the course of a Coccidiosis outbreak. When starting baby chicks it is importan